Donald Trump opens his golf course at Menie, north of Aberdeen. Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian

Donald Trump tried to force the BBC to drop the broadcast of a critically acclaimed documentary on his alleged bullying of residents near his Scottish golf resort.

Lawyers for the New York property magnate contacted the BBC two days before the feature-length film You've Been Trumped was screened on BBC2 on Sunday night, claiming it was highly defamatory, biased and misleading, and demanding a right of reply.

In a letter to the BBC from Dundas & Wilson, a prominent Scottish law firm which has acted for Trump for several years, and seen by the Guardian, the Trump organisation threatened to complain formally to Ofcom and the BBC Trust if the screening went ahead.

The BBC rejected the request and gave the documentary, directed by Anthony Baxter, its network television premiere. It was watched by an estimated 1.1 million viewers, about 40% higher than average figures for the last three months, and earned praise from reviewers, trending on Twitter. The film will be screened again on BBC2 on Tuesday night.

Trump's organisation retaliated saying it was appalled by the BBC's decision to show the "highly biased and manipulative so-called documentary".

George Sorial, Trump's chief counsel, said the trust should sack Roger Mosey, the acting director of BBC Vision.

"The BBC is now an active participant in what many who are familiar with Baxter's work know is a complete false telling of the story behind the construction of Trump Golf Scotland," Sorial told the Guardian. "I would say Roger Mosey should certainly resign or the BBC should consider firing him.

"We're filing complaints with Ofcom and the BBC Trust and are considering other available legal actions."

Sarah Malone, the executive vice-president of Trump International Golf Links, who featured in the film, said: "We totally denounce the BBC for further abandoning its own editorial integrity by blatantly refusing us a right of reply at the end of the broadcast last night.

"It just goes to show that recent criticism of the BBC's lack of sound editorial judgment to be correct. It is not a documentary – it is a piece of propaganda that is wildly inaccurate, defamatory and deliberately misleading."

She said Baxter had sought to make "a sensationalist, Local Hero story, through underhand, clandestine means, in the hope of making money off the Trump name. He's created a modern day fairytale that bears no resemblance to reality or the truth."

In a short statement, the BBC defended its decision. "You've Been Trumped is an award-winning film that has been screened at international festivals around the world," it said.

"During the making of the film, Donald Trump declined the opportunity to take part. We are confident that Donald Trump was offered sufficient right to reply in accordance with BBC editorial guidelines. Donald Trump chose not to participate but the film-maker took care to reflect his views on a number of different occasions in the film.

"In addition, Donald Trump was offered the chance to be interviewed live on the BBC following the BBC2 broadcast. He has not taken up our invitation."

Trump has refused to see the film but on Twitter last week he described his critics as "morons". He asserted that Baxter had "zero talent" and was a "stupid fool" whose film had helped publicise and promote his golf course at Menie, north of Aberdeen.

Baxter said he repeatedly asked Trump for an interview while he was making the documentary but none of the offers were taken up.

The film showed Baxter asking Trump to respond to allegations of bullying and ill-treatment against local residents a number of times. It featured Trump talking 16 times and quoted his supporters backing the project.

Baxter said: "At one press conference, Donald Trump claimed I wasn't a real journalist, and at one stage his organisation put out statements claiming I was working for the [protest group] Tripping Up Trump, and I was actually banned from some press events. The opening of the golf course, I was banned from attending. They claimed I had been hiding behind bushes and heavy machinery, and filmed secret documents – all of which is utter nonsense."

The film, released in May 2011, has won 10 awards from film festivals and environmental documentary organisations and earned four-star reviews in the British media. The Edinburgh international film festival refused to screen it, claiming it was not of sufficient quality.

It has since been acclaimed by Michael Moore, the radical US film-maker, actors including Alec Baldwin, and lately the Scottish film-maker Bill Forsyth, director of the cult classic Local Hero cited by Malone.

In an article for the Guardian, Forsyth said he had been left "dazed and shocked" after seeing the documentary in early September. Denouncing the "malign bullying" of local residents shown in the film, Forsyth said it was "a moving depiction of human survival and dignity amidst murky doings akin to 70s Romania".